


Acceptance

by chasingstarlights



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), The Borrowers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Borrowers Fusion, Angst, Borrower Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Borrower Logic | Logan Sanders, Borrowers - Freeform, Emotional Manipulation, G/T, Giant/Tiny, Human!Virgil, M/M, Multi, Other, TINY - Freeform, Unsympathetic Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, human!patton, tiny!logan, tiny!roman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22761688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasingstarlights/pseuds/chasingstarlights
Summary: Logan is a skilled borrower living with his best friend Roman after escaping an evil human lady who used to keep them as pets. With the traumatic experience still fresh on their minds, the two don't want anything to do with humans again, until Logan comes across a snarky human called Virgil. With the help of Virgil and Patton, can Roman and Logan learn to trust humans again?
Comments: 66
Kudos: 161





	1. Logan

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story on here that's giant/tiny related. I hope you guys enjoy

It was when the hairs on the back of his head stood that he knew the human had seen him.

He had been grabbing some buttons discarded on the kitchen counter, planning to make a little cart to use when he went on his longer runs. He had been examing the button when he realized that the sound of snoring from the human who lived here had stopped, and a figure in the doorway stood ominously. So, Logan knew what he had to do.

He didn’t waste any time to look back and confirm his suspicions, opting instead to make a break for the crack behind the toaster. The thud of footsteps shook the ground as the creature went towards him, and by the change of the wind, Logan knew that the human was reaching for him. He pumped his legs harder for a couple of steps before jumping forward, letting his knees scrape against the marble floor under him. He arched his back, sliding just in time, avoiding the colossal hand that swiped above him.

With his head arched back, he momentarily caught the eyes of the human looming above him, smirking at the frustrated expression the giant made. Quickly he continued, reaching behind the toaster just as it was lifted away.

_Whatever, too slow anyway. _Logan chuckled as he slipped through the crack, ignoring the gasp the human let out when it realized that Logan wasn’t trying to hide, but trying to escape. Once in the safety of the walls, Logan finally let himself rest, placing a hand on his pounding heart.__

____

____

Logan was never one to shy away from tough situations like these. He had moved a lot in his 19 years of life, and had met practically every kind of human there was, good and bad (mostly bad, if he had to be honest). His experience gave him level-headedness in the midst of chaos, and he’d be lying if he didn’t say that he loved the adrenaline he got facing humans head-on. But the aftermath was always terrible.

He gasped as fear overtook him, forcing him to crouch down, trembling uncontrollably. He closed his eyes as the events of just seconds ago played through his head. The hand that would have crushed him if he had not been quick, the mass of the giant that towered over his small frame, the way just the movement of its arms forced gusts of wind around him. Even with so many encounters, humans never failed to terrify him, to make him fear ever leaving the walls and going into their territory.

He took a shaky breath, reminding himself that he hadn’t been, and he _wouldn’t _get caught, not as long as he was smart. Making his way back to his home, he shuddered, wondering how the hell he was going to deal with this in the future.__

____

____

———————

When he went out again it was three days later, and he gulped as he looked at the terrain before him. The human had just left, and he was in need of some sort of wire to complete his cart. He knew that he shouldn’t even have come back again, he had been seen after all, but Logan was never one to care for the Rules, they didn’t matter as long as you didn’t get caught right?

So he went off, climbing the nearby coffee table with his hook efficiently, scanning the area for anything that could be of use. He smiled wide when his eyes spotted a container full of colorful paper clips, and he quickly stuffed a couple in his bag.

“Am I lucky or what?” He wondered aloud, jumping down from the table with ease. With such a quick find Logan was feeling himself and decided that maybe he’d see what else he could get before the human came back, running down into its bedroom.

He had been there for what he _believed _had not been long, when he heard the door open as the human walked inside.__

____

____

_Oh no, not again. _On the nightstand, Logan cursed, jumping down and rolling before running under the bed, How had he been so careless again? This time was even worse, as the nearest exit was on the other side of the room, behind the human’s gigantic shoes in the closet. He carefully watched as the human made a b-line for the bedroom, groaning about some “assignments” due tomorrow.__

____

____

Logan had options, to either wait it out of make a run for it, the latter being only for dire situations. He’d rather be sneaky than outright expose himself for the second time. So there he stood, willing himself to stop shaking underneath the bed of the giant, praying it wouldn’t look here. He quietly crept to the other side of the bed, the closest he could get to the closet, and listened to the human’s movements.

“Yeah, I basically wrote it already, just need to proof-read it before I submit it.” The human seemed distracted by the little box he had up to his ear, and while Logan was curious, he could care less about how the box worked if it hindered him from safety. Slowly he crept out, deciding that this was his opportunity to escape.

Like a hawk, the human’s eyes snapped right to look at him, chilling Logan to the bone. His legs kicked into gear, running towards the closet just has the human cursed and headed towards him.

_Run, plucking run you idiot! Almost there… ___

____

____

Logan leaped over the human’s shoes, making his way towards the opening in the wall–except it had been sealed up. He stopped dead in his tracks then, horror making his breath stop. Why was it sealed?

A shadow suddenly fell over him, making the air around him drop in temperature. Unlike the last time, he dared to turn around, instinctively scurrying back away from the massive creature looming over him. It blocked out half the light seeping into the closet, the effect making the glowing eyes of the human more menacing than before.

“Last time you got away through a crack, so I went around the apartment trying to find if there were any others…” The booming voice around him made him freeze, and he watched with dread as the giant before him stooped low, air rushing past Logan in the process.

He couldn’t help but shake a bit at the human eyeing him with mischievous curiosity, the intense gaze making Logan’s heart drop.

“So…what should I do with you?” The creature smirked, as if he already had ideas in his head, ideas Logan feared he wouldn’t like.


	2. Captured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Logan finally gets truly cornered...

Logan didn’t know what to do when the giant said those words, willing himself to keep calm and try to access the situation. He had to get away before the giant tried anything, but what could he do? To try and outrun a human was ridiculous… but to hide from one wasn’t too impossible. **  
**

He just needed a way out and a place he knew the creature couldn’t reach, either high enough or small enough would do. With his eyes, he dared to look up, past the human’s intimidating face and found his answer. Now just to put it into action, with ideal timing of course.

“No answer? I assumed that since you look human, you could speak too. That’s a bummer.” The warm breath of the human rolled over him, causing him to flinch and bring his attention back to the threat before him. Of course he wasn’t going to speak, if the human was the type to keep Borrowers, speaking would just give him more motivation to capture Logan as a pet. He had been down that road before, and it wasn’t pretty.

“Oh well, it still looks like you can understand me, and you definitely have the mental capacity to think critically. Yesterday proved that pretty well…” The human tilted it’s head, eyeing Logan for a moment before reaching towards him. 

It was now or never.

Logan lunged forward towards the hand, much to the human’s surprise. He jumped, reaching out his hands to steady himself on the finger of the human, using it as a balance to launch himself again, doing a backflip in the air before landing and running between the giant’s crouched legs. The air vent up near the top-right of the room wasn’t too far, he just needed to climb the bookshelf next to it. 

He braced himself once he got near enough, using his Borrower leaping abilities to jump high, landing halfway to the top of the shelf. Quickly he climbed, willing himself to keep his body from shaking so that he could go faster.

But the human was already upon him and much taller than he anticipated, stretching his hands up to reach Logan. Before he could hide behind some book he was snatched off the shelf completely, encased in large warm hands. 

Devastation washed over Logan as he was suddenly covered in darkness. He heard the giant hum, a sound that vibrated throughout his body, and even though he hated it, he couldn’t help but pull his knees up, wrapping his arms around his legs for a false sense of security.

He was jostled slightly with each step the massive creature took, and Logan feared for his fate once the hand lifted away. As if queued by his thoughts the hand _did_ lift up, revealing a glass jar. Before he could process anything Logan felt the hand he sat on tilt, dropping him inside.

He gasped when he landed, almost immediately standing up and pressing himself against the thick glass barrier, desperate for escape. He lost his balance when the jar was set on the coffee table, quickly recovering to hit on the glass again. He stopped, however, when he noticed the giant was staring at him, making him tremble despite not wanting to show any fear.

The giant leaned in close, making Logan press himself against the other side of the jar, wanting to get as far away as possible. He looked down at his feet–anything to avoid those eyes–and tried to calm his ever-beating heart.

“You’re a slippery one, hm? Nearly escaped from me twice now.” The giant murmured, the rumble of his voice making Logan squeeze his eyes shut.

_Not again. Not again. He’s going to hurt me, make me become a pet for him, torture me, threaten to kill me–_

There was silence, uncanny and worrisome around him. When he dared to open his eyes he saw that the human looked almost concerned, eyebrows knitted together with his mouth slightly frowning.

“Hey, don’t be scared okay? I’m not going to hurt you.” The creature whispered low, offering up a small smile to go with his words. Logan, however, wasn’t buying any of it. How could he? The human was strikingly huge and terribly frightening, his every breath a sign of power that irked Logan to the core.

The human must have seen that his words did nothing to quell Logan’s fear, so he sighed, leaning back to regard the little human thoughtfully.

“Okay, how about we start with introductions? Those are fairly harmless, right? My name is Virgil, and yours is?” The giant looked at Logan hopefully, but when all he got was silence he sighed again, shrugging his shoulders. “That’s alright, you don’t have to speak if you don’t want to…or if you can’t.”

The giant’s–Virgil’s–actions confused Logan. He watched, puzzled, as the human that currently held all the power seemed to deflate. What was his end game? What did he want? He was unlike any of the humans he had come across before, none being so docile.

Maybe it was Virgil’s demeanor that made Logan speak up, or maybe it was the opportunity of meeting a human _not_ intent on making his life miserable. Regardless, he found his voice croaking out.

“My…my name is Logan.” He instantly regretted talking, watching Virgil light up in awe at his words. What if this made him want to keep Logan? Last time a human had because his voice had been “so cute” and whatnot, he didn’t want that happening again.

“Okay Logan, can I ask what you are?” The question made Logan shake his head, suddenly realizing that following the Rules would have gotten him out of this terrible mess. Virgil seemed to pout at that, placing his elbows on both sides of Logan’s glass prison. He leaned forward to that his face hovered above the opening of the jar, his entire body becoming the only thing Logan could see. Logan shrunk even more at this, breathing heavily as his entire world became the giant himself. 

“Aw, why can’t you tell me? I’m thinking that you’re maybe a close relative to humans, like monkeys you know? But obviously way closer, since you look exactly like me.” Virgil’s words seemed innocent, but his body language made Logan wonder if he was either pretending or downright unaware of how intimidating he was being. If he _was_ pretending, then it was best to answer his questions, before he resorted to force.

“I’m a borrower, I um, borrow stuff from humans that they don’t need.” He risked a glance up, quickly looking down when he realized just how close Virgil’s face was to the opening of the jar. 

“That’s so cool! Is that why you took that button last time?” When Logan nodded a yes, Virgil continued his questions. “So are there like, anymore of you hiding out somewhere or…?” Logan shook his head, almost a little too vigorously, scared of the possibility of Virgil looking for more borrowers and discovering the one person he didn’t want ever getting caught again: Roman.


	3. Roman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roman is a v sad boi :C

Logan was taking _way_ too long to come back, and Roman was starting to fear that something had happened to him. He paced back and forth in their little home, wondering if he should go and look for him.

Logan was more skilled at borrowing than anyone he had met before, so the fact that he wasn’t back spoke volumes about the type of trouble he had run into. What if he had been attacked by an animal, or worse, captured by a human?

Roman shuddered at the thought, remembering how they had first met. He had been a doll for a human lady for years, forced to perform countless acts and punished if he ever disobeyed. When Logan was captured he had been so defiant, giving Roman the courage to escape together.

Now that they were free, Logan did all the borrowing, since Roman had barely learned how to throw a hook before he was captured by that human. Logan had done so much for him, if he was captured Roman _had_ to save him.

But to help Logan meant to venture out of the safety of their home and into the territory of the giants, something Roman wasn’t sure he was ready to do.

_But Logan could be out there being tortured, or worse, killed…I have to go_.

He grabbed his backpack, a hook, and a pin needle, securing them all onto his body before heading out. He honestly didn’t know the walls too well, having only left home occasionally, never daring to stray too far. He knew that it would be practically impossible to find Logan, but he had to try.

When he came across to the first opening in the walls he looked out, trying to see any sign of Logan anywhere. It looked like the crack in the wall was under a table, so he figured that it was safe to creep out a bit further. The room was silent, and there didn’t seem to by any human in sight. Perhaps it had left?

He gulped, inching forward until he was right at the edge of under the table, knowing that if he took any steps further it would bring him right out into the open.

“Logan? Logan are you here?” Roman whisper-yelled, not wanting any possible human to be able to hear him. With no reply except the unsettling silence around him, Roman was sure that there was no human nearby, deciding to creep forward a few more inches.

Where was he going to look first? If Logan was captured he could have been put anywhere, if he was caught by the human in _this_ apartment anyway. As he glanced around he sighed, turning around to look up at the table behind him.

Only to meet the surprised stare of a human right back.

Roman gasped, realizing that the crack hadn’t been under a wooden table, but under a wooden _chair_ , a chair that was currently occupied by a giant sitting criss-cross on top.

For a moment they just stared at one another, terror making Roman’s body rigid and his mind go blank. But when the massive hand of the creature began to swoop down towards him, suddenly his brain seemed to work again, only one word on his mind.

_**Run**_.

So he turned, running with all the speed he could muster, tears already escaping his eyes. He knew running was futile, recalling whenever he had run before _she_ had always caught him. His legs pumped hard as he racked his brain over what to do, and suddenly Logan’s voice rang in his head.

_If you gotta run Roman, and you don’t know where to, remember to run zig-zag a bit and never straight. It’ll throw them off and give you more time to think._

So he abruptly turned, vaguely aware of the giant’s gasp at his actions, scanning his surroundings to find a crack in the walls, or at least a place to hide. Roman spotted it then, a little exit near the entrance of the kitchen. He wondered if he would be able to make it, seeing as he was in the middle of the living room. But he remembered Logan telling him that it was better to _do_ and think later in situations like these, that he’d know if his escape had worked once he was free.

So he pivoted again, this time using the last of his strength to run forward. His heart felt like giving out, having not ran like this in ages. But as the exit grow closer he didn’t care. For a moment he felt happiness swell up inside of him, knowing that when Logan heard this story he’d be so proud– _THUD_.

Suddenly, a foot slammed down in his path, the wind so strong it knocked him onto his back. It was his turn to gasp, looking up at the giant that blocked his escape. He couldn’t even see the creature’s face from this angle, his body appearing to be almost endless. Before he could get up a hand came down, scooping him up with ease.

He shut his eyes and the air rush around him, not daring to open them even when the hand stopped moving. He knew that if he did all he would see would be the giant’s face, either full of anger or dangerous curiosity. Instinctively he wrapped his body up into a ball, trembling as he waited. Warm air washed over him as the human seemed to breathe out, slightly winded from the little chase they both endured.

“Wow, you’re so _small_.” Its voice vibrated through Roman’s body, and he shook as he remembered how she had caught him.

_He had been exploring against his mother’s wishes again. Not paying attention to his surroundings when suddenly a shadow cast over him. It was the daughter of the house, a child barely older than himself, yet somehow a daunting figure above him. “Wow, you’re so small! Do you wanna play with me?”_

He always wished he could go back to that time and beg his 7-year-old self to run away, to avoid those long years of torture. It was happening again though, wasn’t it? He was going to be kept as a pet, forced to play dress up and other games as well.

_“Better run fast Roman, if I catch you I’m going to crush you under my shoes!”_

He didn’t realize he had opened his eyes and was sobbing until he felt the human gently rubbing his back, murmuring soft words of comfort over him.

“It’s okay kiddo. I’m not going to hurt you I promise.” Roman shook his head, however, knowing deep down that eventually the human would, they always did in the end.


	4. Virgil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Virgil is a little manipulative...

As Virgil watched Logan shake his head he tried his best to contain his excitement. He was honestly really happy to see his plan had worked–sealing up any little crack he saw in the walls had taken forever.

The last time Virgil had seen the little human Logan had been pretty sassy, almost chuckling when Virgil had tried to grab him and smiling as he got away. Yet now he looked terrified, eyes darting about as if looking for an exit. Virgil felt a little bad, not wanting Logan to be scared of him. He figured asking him questions wouldn’t help, but Virgil was just so _curious_ to know more about him.

Virgil was, frankly, incredibly lonely. He had just transferred to a new college and knew virtually no one, save for his best friend Patton. While it was great to have at least one person he trusted in this new environment, he couldn’t help but feel alone at times. Plus, Patton still had other friends and couldn’t be with Virgil all of the time. So he felt like meeting this little person was a blessing in disguise, as long as he could get Logan to also see it that way.

But how could he? Logan had every right to be terrified of him. After all, he was the big bad human who currently held him captive in a glass jar.

_But if I let him out, he’ll definitely try to run away again…_

From the way Logan frantically shook his head, there were most likely more borrowers hiding in the walls of his apartment, though Virgil wondered why Logan seemed to be the only one coming out of the walls. Perhaps each went to different units and Logan was the designated to his place? Whichever the case, Logan didn’t seem to want Virgil to find them, which was something he could use to his advantage.

“If there are more of you, I’d love to meet them! See I just moved here recently and am awfully lonely. Making new friends isn’t really my strong suit.” Virgil voiced his words as purely as he could, observing the horror growing in Logan’s eyes at his words. The poor guy was starting to freak out, though Virgil couldn’t blame him.

“I’m sure if I looked around enough I could find them, then we could _all_ hang out together. Though when I think about it, having _one more_ good, trusted, ride-or-die friend is all I really need…” He let the sentence trail off, letting himself look away as if in deep thought.

“I can be your friend!” The stammered exclamation from the little human made Virgil smile internally, happy that yet another one of his plans went so smoothly. He feigned surprise, leaning forward to openly grin at his new friend.

“Really? You would? Gosh, I’m so happy! I guess there’s no need to find _everyone_ if I already have you.” Virgil watched as Logan nodded his head earnestly, his eyes full of relief. He probably thought he had saved his fellow borrowers from Virgil finding them, though Virgil was honestly never going to look for them. Something about Logan made him feel different, and he doubted that it was _just_ because he was small.

“Well, then there’s no need to keep you in here anymore, not like your gonna run away right?” Virgil let the tone of his voice keep a light, harmless sort of vibe. He knew what his words meant to the tiny, however.

_If you run away, I’m going to find you and your friends._

A threat Virgil would never carry out, but for now, Logan didn’t need to know that.

He reached to grab the jar, warning Logan to brace himself. Carefully, he tilted the jar, watching as Logan slid down and out of the jar. Once on the surface of the coffee table he stood, nervously wringing his hands together in front of Virgil. Logan still looked to be full of fear, and Virgil racked his brain to figure out how he could lessen it.

“Ah, are you hungry? I was just about to make some ramen.” He watched as Logan seemed to consider the question before hesitantly nodding. Virgil smiled at that, certain that the power of food could bring anyone together, no matter their size difference. He placed his hand palm up next to Logan, trying to ignore how he flinched and looked up at Virgil in terror.

“Wanna come to the kitchen with me? I kinda feel bad just leaving you here.” Virgil wasn’t sure if Logan would try to run away, though he was certain he had given Logan enough incentive not to. He watched Logan nod, looking at his hand as if it was some giant war machine before he slowly crawled ontop. Virgil waited till he was comfortably sitting in his palm before walking over to the kitchen, holding Logan to his chest for a safer ride.

He felt truly bad then, feeling just how _violently_ Logan’s body seemed to shake, and knowing that he was the reason why. He wanted to make Logan feel safe around him, to the point where he would want to stay without being blackmailed, but he didn’t know how he could. Just because of their size difference there was already an almost permanent gap of trust, and Virgil’s passive-aggressive nature wasn’t helping.

Once they got to the kitchen Virgil set Logan down on the counter, reaching above himself to open the cabinet and pull out his ramen. He figured chicken would be the best flavor, and set to work preparing the noodles. He tried to ignore Logan’s intense gaze on his face, as if afraid Virgil was going to pounce on him at any moment.

When he finally finished and looked down at Logan, he did his best to give a friendly smile at the frightened tiny, choosing yet again to ignore how Logan flinched at the eye contact and abruptly turned his gaze away.

_What does the poor guy think I’m going to do? Get angry at him just for looking at me?_

With a pause Virgil realized that to Logan that he _could_ very well be like that, they had only just met after all. It made Virgil wonder if Logan had encountered any humans who had confirmed these fears of his.

“Well its done, give it a little try and see if you like it.” He served Logan a few noodles on a plate, offering a napkin as well since he had no utensils to avoid messy eating. He watched as Logan tentatively blew on his noodle before picking it up and taking a bit. When Logan’s face seemed to light up in pleasant surprise over the taste Virgil couldn’t help but smile, happy to see an expression other than fear on the tiny’s face for once.

It made Virgil feel warm inside to see Logan’s eyes sparkle like that, though Virgil didn’t know exactly why. Even though they had just met Virgil knew he wanted Logan to be his friend, and as he watched the borrower nibble away on the noodle, unconsciously in his heart he made a decision: he would do whatever he could to keep his little human happy, because for some reason when Logan was happy, Virgil was too.


	5. Patton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Roman find a similar fate to Logan's?

To say that Patton was surprised to witness a miniature human walk out from under his chair would have been an understatement. He had been on his phone when he had heard the tiny whispers, urgent and slightly full of fear. Patton had paused to listen in disbelief then, not sure if he had heard correctly, assuming that it was a figment of his imagination.

It was when a human no larger than 4 inches crept out from under him that he had held back a gasp, shocked by its very existence. Patton hadn’t dared to move, still trying to understand if what he saw was real when the creature had turned around, seemingly just as surprised as Patton was to see him.

When he had chased the tiny human down it had almost been instinctive, although he didn’t know why he wanted to catch the little guy. Perhaps it was his curiosity that got the best of him, or the fact that he’d probably never have an opportunity like this again.

When he had the small creature up to his face, he was caught up in wonder, seeing just how human the guy was, save for his size. The tiny dude was curled up in a ball, eyes squeezed shut in what looked like fear, and it broke Patton’s heart to realize where this fear was directed.

“Wow, you’re so _small_.” He hadn’t meant this to be the first thing he said, planning on trying to reassure the little guy before doing anything else, but he just couldn’t help himself. His fascination with what he could only think of as some sort of mythical creature took over him, making his stomach flip with disbelief and awe.

When the tiny human began to cry, however, all of those giddy feelings escaped him and Patton’s natural caring heart wouldn’t allow himself to just let the little guy suffer. Carefully, he attempted to soothe the creature by rubbing it’s back, offering assuring words that he wasn’t going to harm the little human. He watched as the little guy shook his head despite his promises, seemingly crying even harder at his words.

“Liar, _she_ said the same thing.” The tiny stammered, his words laced with undeniable cynicism and doubt. Patton didn’t really know what to say at that, not knowing a single thing about who “she” was. But the hurt on the little guy’s face was all too familiar to Patton nonetheless. Determined, he walked to his kitchen counter, resting the tiny down and then kneeling down next to him so that he wouldn’t be looming over him.

“Well I’m not her. Besides, I wouldn’t dare hurt anyone as cute as you kiddo.” He grabbed a paper towel and ripped off a little piece, handing it to the tiny to dry his eyes.

‘But–you’re human, and humans always hurt us…” The miniature human muttered, appearing to deflate when he said those discouraging words. For the first time the tiny looked up into Patton’s eyes, and the emptiness in them made Patton feel numb.

“Even if you don’t mean too, it always happens. If you get too angry you hurt us. When you get sad you force us to play all those terrible games. You don’t care about how _we_ feel or _scared_ we are of you. It’s always about how _you_ feel, and what _you_ want to do, and how we should just be happy with it.”

Patton held his breath as the tiny started to slowly speak, his voice quickly turning from a soft whisper to desperate rant.

“And who said we should be happy? We didn’t _ask_ you to kidnap us, let alone fed us. We can and _were_ getting by perfectly fine on our own! She always said that I should be grateful she provided _so freaking much_ for me. Sure, okay, but did you forget I’m a _literal_ captive you _plucking_ degenerate? ” At this point the tiny was speaking with full force, leaving Patton to just mindlessly nod as he went on.

“I’d rather die than have no freedom, but for some reason she could never get that idea around her _thick skull_. Comes with the perks of being a psychopath I guess.” The scoffing laugh that the tiny let out was polished with unbothered feelings, as if trying to mask the trauma he obviously felt.

“It’s not that hard to understand. Even though I’m smaller than you, I still have a life and I should be the only one to have power over it! I lost plucking _years_ to that crazy witch! Can you imagine living for years in a tiny cage, and your only purpose is to be someone else’s entertainment? I’m not going through that again, never. So if you’re gonna keep me–you might as well kill me–because if you don’t _I_ will.” The tiny trailed off then, almost as if he realized where he was and who he was talking to. He didn’t look scared, however, his eyes ablaze with fearlessness, as if someone who had already lost everything and had nothing left to lose.

Patton winced at that, not able to fathom the pain he must have experienced to say something so frightening  
and yet mean it completely.

“I’m not planning to do anything to you, you can even leave now if you want. I just saw you crying and wanted to make sure you were okay, that’s all. I’m sorry you had to go through that, and I’m sorry it was my kind who did that to you.” Patton looked down at his hands, ashamed that he was associated with someone who could be that cruel to another person, just because they were smaller than them.

The tiny looked unsure with what to do with Patton’s response, as if sure that despite his little rant, Patton would force him to stay anyway. He stared at Patton then, truly perplexed by the giant creature before him, never having encountered a human so vulnerable before. Then again, he had only encountered one other human in his life.

He stood up slowly on the counter, quickly scanning the walls and seeing an opening not too far from him. He glanced back at the human, stiffening slightly as he locked eyes with the giant, shuffling backward a bit instinctively.

“Then, I will get going now.” The small man offered an awkward farewell, walking away towards the crack slightly hidden behind a box of cereal. He made sure his back wasn’t facing the human, watching for any indicator of a changed mind.

Patton, however, kept kneeling with his hands by his side. He watched the miniature human cautiously walk away till he got to the edge of the shoe box. Once at the edge the tiny paused, glancing back with a look of confliction shadowing his face.

“Um, thanks for letting me go. My…my name is Roman, if you want to know.” The statement was quite, and save for the deafening silence in the room Patton would have missed the words.

“Mine is Patton…it was nice to meet you, Roman, ” Patton held down his excitement at Roman’s words, instead offering a cool, friendly smile to the tiny. Roman awkwardly nodded back, shuffling a bit before turning away.

“…Likewise”

Then Roman was gone.


	6. Delicious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Virgil...no stop it :0

_**Logan** _

Despite the delicious taste of the so-called “ramen’’ Virgil offered him, Logan’s stomach still twisted up with anxiousness. He needed a plan to escape, one that wouldn’t end up with both he and Roman captured in the end.

Logically, there was no way Virgil would be able to find Logan again if he managed to run back into the walls. Logan would just find Roman, tell him to pack up and they would off to a new apartment. So a part of Logan’s brain told him to leave when he had the chance.

It was the fear in him that made him hesitate.

The idea of something going haywire, a wrong move that ended with Roman in the hands of yet another human, irked Logan to the core. Logan could still remember when he had first met Roman. He had been a shell of a man then, as if waiting to wither away into nothing. Now Roman was better, happier, and Logan intended to keep him that way, even if it cost Logan his own freedom in return.

Logan groaned under his breath, uncomfortable that Roman meant so much to him now. He knew he should have never gotten attached to the other Borrower, having something to lose would only cost you in this life. But to Logan, Roman reminded him too much of his old self, scared and clinging to others for help.

_If only you had been stronger then, maybe Thomas would still be here._

The thought made Logan shudder, and he brought his attention back to the human beside him.

It proved to be a bad idea as Logan witnessed the giant consume a massive forkful of noodles. It was alarming, with Logan needing both his hands to hold just one strand. He looked away, trying not to process how wide Virgil’s jaw could expand, and just how much he could fit inside. He tried not to think about what Virgil could possibly do to him if Logan ever made him angry, and reminded himself that he just needed to be obedient to stay safe.

“Oh, is it not good anymore?” The rumble of a voice above him made his body tense and his head snap up to look at Vigil, uncomfortable now that his eyes were on him.

“Ah–no, um, I was just…just taking my time!” Logan awkwardly tried to save face, quickly eating at his now cold noodle. He was still on his first one, his wandering mind stealing away his appetite. He tried not to shrink back at Virgil’s questioning gaze, training his eyes to the marbled floor.

Virgil hummed at that, eyes not giving away whatever he was thinking. Logan found it hard to read Virgil, with his expressions always either blank or sickly sweet to hide his threatening words. However, Logan was able to understand one thing about Virgil. When he gazed at him like that, like a predator eyeing his prey, Logan knew that he was about to do something.

So when Virgil reached out a giant hand to him, it came to both their surprise that Logan’s instincts got the best of him.

Logan knew that fear would only show weakness, so he always tried his best to hide it from humans. He never cried, never screamed, and never begged. From experience, he knew they rarely worked anyway. But it was the fear of the unknown, the “what if” that came with Virgil that pushed him over the edge.

It was his lack of knowing what the human wanted, or how he planned to get what he wanted that made him cry out for the first time in years.

“I’ll eat it, I’ll eat it! So please don’t hurt me!” The exclamation almost sounded foreign to Logan, and it took him a while to realize that he had curled up into a ball, squeezing his eyes shut to block out the world. For a moment he wondered how he had even gotten into this position, let alone how tears were suddenly streaming down his face. This wasn’t like him, _shouldn’t_ have been like him, yet here he was.

The silence was deafening, and Logan feared that he had angered Virgil. He didn’t want to open his eyes, worried that he would only see fury on Virgil’s face, but he knew he had to. When he blinked away the tears blurring his vision he gasped, not noticing when Virgil’s face had become so close. His eyes bore into Logan’s and he couldn’t help but shut them again, breathe caught on waves of fear he hadn’t felt in ages.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

_**Virgil** _

Virgil didn’t know why Logan was suddenly curled up into a ball before him, but something about it made Virgil’s heart sting. He wasn’t sure what the feeling was really, a mix of wanting to make sure Logan felt safe and protected again, and a want to make him cry even more.

The latter made Virgil pause, disturbed at the thought of wanting Logan to suffer. But there was something about seeing his face, once smirking and full of confidence, deteriorating into tears that was just so intoxicating to Virgil.

He crouched down, trying to get eye level with Logan and see the tiny more clearly, pushing his rather dark thoughts away. He opened his mouth then, about to say some soothing words to quell Logan’s fear, when Logan suddenly snapped his eyes open, looking at him with alarm. Logan quickly shut his eyes after, as if just the look of Virgil intimidated him to no end, shrinking further into himself.

Oh no.

It was like the thin string of sanity keeping Virgil intact broke, and suddenly the only thing on Virgil’s mind was how far he could go with Logan, and how badly he could scare the poor guy.

“Logan~ why are you freaking out lil’ guy? I’m not going to hurt you.” Virgil spoke before sighing as if he was exhausted.

“You’re acting like you’re scared I’m gonna do something to you. I’m not…unless you did something and you’re afraid I’m gonna find out? Virgil watched Logan’s body stiffen at his words, and he continued.

“You have been coming in and out of my apartment without my knowledge until recently…did you do something with my stuff Logan?” Virgil let his tone harden a bit, hiding a smirk when Logan’s eyes snapped open and he frantically shook his head.

“No- no I haven’t done anything to your things, I swear.” The shakiness of his voice made Virgil unconsciously suck in his breath, and he tried to play it off as if he was suppressing his “anger”.

“C’mon Logan, just tell me the truth okay? Friends don’t lie to each other.” He knew Logan hadn’t done anything, not that he really cared anyway. He just wanted to see that disheveled look on his face get even worse, till he was a complete mess of who he once was.

When Logan didn’t respond he frowned, feigning anger as he stood up, looming over Logan’s small body. “Logan, if you’re not going to tell me, you know I’ll have to punish you right? I can’t have you thinking it’s okay to break my stuff or anything.”

Logan sat up in alarm, looking up at Virgil’s towering figure with growing fear. “Wh-what? I’ve never broken any of your things!” In response Virgil simply raised an eyebrow, pausing before slamming his hand down next to Logan. He could help but smirk then, watching the little borrower jump and let out a yelp in surprise. It felt like butterflies were fluttering around in Virgil’s stomach every time he got a reaction out of Logan, encouraging him to keep going.

“I don’t like liars Logan. They make me sick to my stomach…perhaps that’s where little liars like you belong anyway, wouldn’ you agree?” Virgil let the meaning of his words sink into Logan, dread casting a shadow over the tiny’s face.

“No–no Virgil you can’t…” The plea was almost a whisper, and the amount of desperation in Logan’s voice sent shiver’s up Virgil’s spine.

“I don’t know Logan…the ramen _really_ wasn’t enough...and don’t you wanna help a friend out?” He smiled wide, heart thumping as he reached for the little human, wondering about just how far he could go with his newest entertainment.


	7. Am I a Pet or a Person?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Virgil like...can you not?!?

“You– you can’t Virgil please!” Logan squirmed in Virgil’s grasp, desperately trying to free himself. Logan’s desperate plea only seemed to rile up Virgil more, causing Virgil to grin as he raised Logan above his face. Logan’s own face was a mess of tears as he looked down into Virgil’s open mouth, knowing that if Virgil let go it would all be over.

“Aw, why not? I’m sure you’ll taste delicious~” Virgil’s hot breath under his feet made Logan gasp, more tears gushing down his face from pure terror. As Virgil spoke his pearly whites peaked out from past his lips menacingly, and the thought of them grinding over his small body sent Logan into another round of fear.

“Please Virgil I’ll do anything. I won’t taste good I swear! P–please don’t eat me Virgil, I–” Logan was cut off, however, when Virgil suddenly let go, forcing Logan to fall through the air headfirst towards Virgil’s open mouth. Logan let out a blood-chilling scream then, his life almost flashing before his eyes as he realized that he was about to die.

He closed his eyes and waited for the sensation of a wet surface and grinding molars. For a moment he felt nothing but the air around him, quickly growing warmer as Virgil drew closer to him, then he landed.

Except he didn’t hit a rough, wet tongue, and wasn’t ground away into nothing from Virgil’s giant teeth. Instead, he landed on a soft, dry surface, the texture under him awfully familiar. His eyes snapped open as he recognized the feeling of Virgil’s hand cupped around him, and he quivered as his eyes met the looming face of the smirking giant above him.

“You okay buddy? I had you there for a moment didn’t I?” Virgil’s teasing words hardly registered in Logan’s mind, his heart still pumping fast with adrenaline.

He just stared up at Virgil and adjusted his glasses in shock, wondering what the _hell_ Virgil was laughing for.

“I’m sorry Logan but you were just so… honestly, I don’t know. When you started crying I couldn’t help myself. I’d never actually eat you, I promise.” Virgil offered a cheeky grin with his words, but it only served to make Logan even more confused. Was Virgil some type of sadist? Who’s first reaction when they witnessed someone cry was to make them cry _more_? He shuddered, remembering the sparkle in Virgil’s eyes when he had threatened to eat him, as if the situation amused him.

_Great job Logan, you got caught by a complete plucking nutcase._

“Did you think that was funny? Did you think it was perfectly fine to threaten to _kill_ me? I’m not a toy! I’m a person. I have thoughts and feelings, you can’t just do that to someone.” The fear Logan felt was starting to slowly turn into anger, and he once again found himself loathing humans more than ever. Virgil raised an eyebrow in response.

“Logan, chill won’t you? I told you I didn’t mean it, so why are you so mad? You’re making this bigger than it needs to be.” The pure _idiocy_ in that statement alone made Logan want to scream, but it was the tone in Virgil’s voice that sent shivers up his spine.

He was chastening him like a parent would to a child or an owner to a pet. That belittling attitude–Logan had experienced it all too many times before–was never a good sign.

“But you can’t just–!” The stern gaze Virgil focused on the small tiny made him shut up, knowing that if Virgil could threaten him just for laughs, what would he do if he was _really_ angry?

“Anyway, we still have a bit of time before it gets late, how about we watch a movie? I’m in the mood for some classic Disney.” Virgil softly brought up the idea, heading towards the living room. It made Logan wonder if he was doing it to try and calm Logan down, the prospect angering Logan more.

Once in the living room, Logan swallowed as Virgil turned on the TV, picking a movie he ‘swore Logan would love’, and settled down on a pile of pillows _all_ while keeping Logan in his hands. It irked him that Virgil hadn’t let him go in so long, and right now Logan wanted to get as far away from the human as possible.

“Could you please put me down? I, um, want to see the movie better.” He tried not to wince when Virgil looked down at him, hoping his reasoning didn’t give away his obvious discomfort over his position. Silently Virgil nodded, setting him down on the coffee table in front of the screen. He felt relief that Virgil had complied, maybe there was some good left in the human.

They watched the movie in silence for a while, Logan much too distracted to pay attention to the singing long-haired princess and dashing thief she’d blackmailed. He needed to escape. It was too dangerous to stay with Virgil, and he was sure that he and Roman could leave the complex before Virgil would find their home in the walls. He just needed to find a crack that Roman hadn’t plastered back up, which Logan was sure had to be somewhere. If he could just–

Logan’s thoughts were interrupted by a small jab at his back, and he sharply turned to see Virgil’s giant finger behind him.

“…What are you doing?”

He was met with nothing but a mischievous smile, the dark cast over Virgil’s eyes meaning anything but good for Logan. He gasped as Virgil’s finger came closer, jabbing him harder this time and forcing Logan onto his back. Logan struggled under the unyielding force pressing down on him, feeling the air in his lungs slowly being squeezed out of him.

“Geez Logan, you’re so _weak_. Can’t even push my finger off of you. How the hell have you survived till now?” Virgil’s words cut into Logan with odd coldness. Why was he doing this?

“I avoided…stupid humans…like… you.” Logan ground out the words with great effort, watching as Virgil only smirked in response to his jab, the pressure on his chest increasing. Logan couldn’t help but cry out then, knowing that if Virgil added any more pressure he’d be close to breaking a bone.

“Aw Logan, don’t be like that. We’re friends, aren’t we? I’m just trying to look out for you.” Virgil lifted his finger off of Logan’s chest, hovering it over the tiny. Logan swallowed, propping himself up on his elbows and watching Virgil with wariness.

“That reminds me, when I caught you earlier you jumped pretty high. Is that like some type of Borrower quirk?” The question seemed innocent enough, but Virgil was never what he _seemed_ to be. Logan knew he had to answer, however, remembering what had happened nearly an hour ago when he hadn’t.

“We’re generally more durable than humans, and can jump higher too. It makes up for the size I guess.” Logan muttered the answer, knowing that it would lead to some kind of sick joke for Virgil.

“Hmm…have you ever tested how durable you are?” The question made Logan stiffen, and when he met the sadistic curiosity clouding Virgil’s eyes, he knew that whatever Virgil was planning to do wouldn’t be good at all.

“Virgil, whatever you’re thinking of, please don’t. I may be able to endure more than humans but–no, stop not again!” Logan screeched as Virgil snatched him off the table, snickering to himself with whatever wicked idea he had formed in his head. Logan tumbled in Virgil’s cupped hands, heart beating against his chest in the darkness.

When Virgil lifted one hand away and gripped Logan firmly in the other, arm strung back and taut, Logan’s stomach flipped when he realized what was going on. Fruitlessly he struggled, begging Virgil to stop, to not _literally throw him across the room_. Watching in vain as Virgil shook his head and smirked.

“C’mon Logan, don’t you wanna know? I bet it won’t even hurt. Now… go long!”


	8. To Leave His Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Roman + Logan unite!

When Roman had left the presence of the giant, he had let his shaking legs lead him back to his little home, numbly crawling back into his bed and telling himself that Logan would surely come back tomorrow.

It had been two weeks since then.

If he had been anxious before he was terribly fearful now, knowing that there was no way Logan could be gone for this long and _not_ have something happen to him. So despite the survival part of his brain screaming for him not to go out again, he packed up his things and set through the halls in the wall, this time going in the opposite direction.

He walked for some time before he came to the first crack, or at least what _should_ have been the first crack. Somehow it was sealed up with what appeared to be some kind of tacky glue. Roman’s heart raced, how and why would someone seal up the openings? 

Roman continued on, walking past several sealed cracks until he came to a particularly small unsealed crack that he assumed had gone unnoticed. He walked to the crack and peeked through, listening to see if there was a giant nearby.

“Okay Logan, I’m going to go to classes now. Be good while I’m gone okay?” A voice boomed not too far from him and Roman gasped, backing up away from the crack before gaining the courage to look out again. He watched as the giant looked down into a cardboard box, reaching inside and pulling back with a smirk on his face.

The giant looked down at his watch then and cursed, quickly grabbing a jacket and exclaiming a final farewell before running out the door. After waiting a bit Roman swung into action, slipping through the crack and running towards the cardboard box. It was on top of a little coffee table, only accessible with a hook and rope. It took three tries, but Roman was able to latch the hook to the edge of the table, quickly climbing up.

“Logan? Logan are you there?” Roman yelled once on top of the table, banging his hands on the side of the box. Almost immediately he heard a startled gasp, followed by rushed footsteps and banging on the other side of the box.

“Roman? Why–How are you here?” Logan’s confused and exhausted voice exclaimed from the other side, making Roman almost drop to the ground in relief. He was alive, captured and trapped in a cage, but alive nonetheless.

“You were gone for so long, I _had_ to do something. What happened– no there’s no time for that–I need to get you out of there. ” Roman stepped back, swinging his hook to try and get the edge of the box, missing miserably. 

For a moment both him and Logan were silent, basking in Roman’s display of terrible borrowing skills before Logan began to chuckle, full-on laughing at the end.

“Throw it over idiot. Lemme do it.” Roman didn’t protest, gathering the rope and hook up and chucking the tool into the box. He waited, hearing Logan say something along the lines of being acquainted with his _baby_ again before the edge of the hook latched onto the top of the box.

Once Logan got over and out of the box, Roman gasped, seeing just how disheveled Logan’s appearance was. His glasses were crooked, sitting somewhat lopsided on his face. His clothes were the same as when he had left the house last, now more crumpled and dirty than before. His face, however, made Roman pause the most. 

It was full of fear, the type to leave you jittery and always paranoid. Even now with the giant clearly gone Logan’s eyes still darted about, as if waiting for _something_ to happen. 

Roman had never seen him like this. Even during his worst moments Logan had always managed to quell his fear, focusing his energy to analyze the situation and never to simply react. Yet here was a Logan so scared out of his mind that all he did _was_ react, grabbing Roman’s arm and pulling him to the edge of the table.

“We need to get out of here before he comes back. If he sees me out of my home–” Logan cut himself off, squeezing his eyes shut and shuddering. “Roman we have to go, _now_.”

Roman nodded, jumping down from the coffee table and turning to make sure Logan was right behind him. He was, though breathless and panicky, arms wrapped around his sides restlessly. Silently Roman stretched out his hand and grasped Logan’s firmly. At this Logan flinched, but didn’t pull away, instead looking at Roman with tear-filled eyes.

“Let’s go Logan.” It was all Roman could say before leading Logan to the tiny crack he had crawled through, too overwhelmed with pain to trust his own voice. Whatever Logan had gone through had left him broken, a shell of who he once was.

Much like Roman had been when he had first met Logan.

It was cruelly ironic, how their roles now seemed to be reversed, and it took everything in Roman not to scream. Why was it always them that had to come across those heartless humans? Why did Logan, out of all people, have to suffer? Logan was Roman’s savior, his friend, his _family_. The one person on this earth he didn’t want anything to happen to.

Once safe in the walls Roman gathered Logan up in his arms, careful not to squeeze too hard in case he was injured. Logan felt smaller than when he had left, like a little child in need of protection. Roman took a shaky breath and willed tears brimming in his eyes to not fall down, not when he needed to be strong for Logan.

“Logan, what happened? What did he do to you?” His words were laced with despair and anger, and Roman felt Logan tremble in his arms even more, soaking Roman’s shoulder in hot tears. It seemed to be a question Logan dared not to answer, shaking his head intensely and burying his entire body deeper into Roman’s arms, as trying to escape from the world itself.

“Let’s just go Roman–oh! We can’t go back home! Roman, he knows about borrowers, he knows that we live in the walls…he’ll try to find us.” Logan’s eyes were frantic again, filled with a kind of fear Roman knew all too well. “We just need to leave right now, you’ve got some gear and I can always make new tools. If we leave now there’s no way he could–!”

Logan let out a gasp, toppling over and holding the side of his leg in pain. With a gasp of his own Roman knelt down next to him, only now noticing the blood that stained Logan’s pants.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you’re injured? We can’t go anywhere with you like this. You need to rest!” Despite Logan’s protests, Roman lifted Logan up bridal-style, ignoring how his muscles were _clearly_ not meant to lift anything heavier than air.

As Roman went through the halls of the walls he frowned, listening to Logan’s protests and claims that the human would find them if they returned home. Though he doubted the human would, he knew that Logan needed rest, and making him stay in a place he didn’t feel safe wouldn’t work.

But where else could they go? They didn’t know if there were any other borrowers in the complex, and to travel now to another apartment would only injure Logan more.

_I’m not planning to do anything to you, you can even leave now if you want._

Patton had been nice. Terrifyingly large, but nice. Roman remembered how the human had looked so downcast at Roman’s words, and how he had apologized for crimes he hadn’t even committed.

With their current situation, a gentle giant seemed like the safest option, though Roman doubted that Logan would approve. He was sure on the way there he could convince Logan otherwise, however, Logan was always one to give in to Roman anyway.


	9. True Identities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry I haven't uploaded in a long time, I don't really have an excuse because this hiatus was way longer than it should have been. :/ But I'm here :) Please enjoy!
> 
> Also If you guys wanna interact w/me on Tumblr or request anything please head over! I'm best when I have other things to write + this main piece!

When Roman had explained where they were going Logan had protested greatly, regardless of whether it was the best choice or not. He knew that he could make the journey to another apartment– even if it left him injured for life. 

_But to trust a human after just being tortured by one? What a plucking joke._

Logan hid behind the crack in the wall, Roman had told him to wait there while he _talked_ to the human. Since when did humans just talk? It was ridiculous, and Logan didn’t feel right allowing Roman to go out on his own.

He hated being in such a state that he would let Roman interact with a human alone. It felt wrong, not being able to protect Roman, and it made Logan’s stomach twist with unease. He gasped when a figure came close to the crack, sighing in relief when it turned out to be Roman. 

“Hey, it’s all okay. Patton said that it was fine for us to stay and he won’t come near you unless you’re okay with it. He really is nice, he even let me trash talk humans the first time I met him.” Logan scanned Roman suspiciously, eyeing for any signs of fear in his voice or body, confused when he found none.

“But…he’s human himself? Why would he be okay with you talking badly about his kind?” Roman smiled in response, taking Logan’s hand and guiding him through the crack.

“He understands that it’s not him I’m talking about exactly. He acknowledges that my experiences are valid, regardless of the fact that he’s human himself. Simply put, he respects me, and will respect you if he knows what’s good for him.” The last part was said loudly as they completely stepped through the crack, and Logan stiffened as an even louder chuckle sounded above them.

“Okay Roman, your wish is my command. _Definitely_ don’t want you taking me out with your words again. You really hit where it hurts.” Logan didn’t want to, but he instinctively looked up anyway, sucking in a breath as he saw the looming figure above him. Frantically he stumbled to get behind Roman, unable to stop the violent tremors that raked his entire body.

Silence and heavy tension hung in the air almost immediately afterward, and Logan inwardly cringed at how he couldn’t even hide his fear anymore.

_I don’t know Logan...I sort of like it when you're shaking. Kinda adorable you know?_

Logan hoped that Patton wouldn’t see him the same way Virgil did.

“Hey, you big oaf! Squat down, you’re casting a shadow like it’s the end of the world.” Logan’s eyes widened at the way Roman chastened Patton, becoming even more surprised when Patton _listened_ , sheepishly lowering himself while offering an awkward apology.

“I forgot–just excited to see you again y’know? I didn’t mean to scare him, is he alright?” The concern on the giant’s face confused Logan, it’s sincerity matching that of Roman’s when they had reunited earlier. Logan opened his mouth to speak because Virgil always hated it when he didn’t answer immediately but found his breath caught in his throat.

“He’s… going to be okay. I think. It’s the human I’m more worried about.” Roman seemed to sense Logan’s dilemma and answered Patton instead, voice turning into somewhat of a growl at the end.

“Right…what did he look like? I may have seen him before. I could even ask my friend who lives two doors down. He’s sort of a loner but he’s a good guy.” Patton proceeded to describe his friend to the tinies before him, and Logan felt his whole body slowly freeze at Patton’s words.

There was only one human he knew with that sort of appearance, and he was anything but _good_.

Numbly, Logan began to run back towards the crack, vaguely aware of Roman yelling his name after him. It didn’t take much to catch up to the injured tiny, however, and Logan gasped when Roman stopped him in his tracks.

“Logan? What’s wrong? Patton won’t hurt you I promise. Logan? Can you hear me?” Roman’s words sounded muffled, as if Logan was underwater and Roman was yelling at him from the surface. He felt as if he was drowning too, gasping for breath as he realized that Patton was friends with _him_ and if the giant found out he would surely take him back.

He would be stuck in that box again, burdened by the risk of angering Virgil. The chance of facing such wrath forcing Logan to become cautious of _everything_ he said and _how_ he said it. Aware that when Virgil was angry he only smiled wider, pressed his fingers around Logan harder, and laughed louder until there was nothing but pain and blood everywhere.

“I can’t go back, please Roman don’t make him take me back! If I do he’ll– he won’t forgive me this time. He’ll hurt me again–oh God he’ll _break it_ this time.” Logan was sobbing, begging in Roman’s arms as his hysteria drove him into a corner. Roman clung to Logan as he cried, confusion on his face turning into understanding as Roman looked up at a fretful Patton.

“Patton...this friend of yours, what’s his name?” Roman’s question was full of dread. The tone daunting enough that even Patton sensed what was occurring, and sadness filled the giant’s heart as he realized that Virgil wasn’t who he thought he was.

“Virgil...that’s what his name is.” The human’s confirmation only served to make Logan’s heart jump, and panic overwhelmed him as his worries started to take over all rationality. Patton knew Virgil, plucking hell, they were _friends_. No human would choose a borrower over their own kind, and it was only a moment of time before Patton would snatch him up and give him back to Virgil. Heck, what if he gave Virgil Roman too?

_He had been in the box for so long, and with Virgil taping the top closed for “punishment” Logan felt like he was going insane in the darkness. How long had it been, was it hours...days? Logan couldn’t tell anymore. He was hungry and thirsty, and prayed that Virgil would let him out soon._

_“Hey Logan, I’m so bored… wish I could let you out again.” The giant’s voice startled him, and Logan scrambled up blindly, maneuvering in the darkness until he felt a wall of cardboard in front of him._

_“Then let me out! We...we can play all you want!” In response to his suggestion, all he heard was a tsk followed by a jab at the cardboard in front of him._

_“But it doesn’t sound like you’ve reflected on your actions…” Logan winced when he could sense the amusement in Virgil’s voice, choosing to ignore it for the sake of freedom._

_“I have!” He cried out in response, banging on the cardboard in a useless display of frustration, sucking in a breath when all he received was silence in return._

_“Then beg, Logan. Beg in a pretty little voice and maybe I’ll let you go.” The demand sent chills through Logan’s spine since when had Virgil become so threatening? But he opened his mouth and took a deep breath anyway, willing to do anything if it meant leaving the isolation his capturer had forced him into._

“Please, please don’t send me back to him. I’ll be good, and you can do anything you want with me.” Logan’s voice was suddenly lighter, shaky and breathless the way Virgil would demand it be, and Logan let tears fall down his face full force. He ignored the way Roman’s eyes widened at his change in character and limped up to the giant before him, letting himself tremble in Patton’s presence.

Virgil had done many things to Logan, but he had taught him one useful thing. It was that humans were cruel beings, and they loved to feel superior, no matter the costs. So Logan did just that, looking up at Patton as if the giant held Logan’s entire life in his hands, speaking as if he was indeed the weak creature Virgil had wanted him to be.

_You’re cute Logan, like a little pet. Why don’t you act like one for me?_

However, Logan’s own eyes widened when Patton’s suddenly filled with tears, and Logan barely had time to process before he was suddenly swept up into the hands of the weeping giant. Saltwater splashed all around him and onto his body, leaving Logan gawking as he watched the seemingly all-powerful being cry in pure empathy for him.

“I would never– I don’t know what he did to you, but I’m never letting that bastard near you again! You’re safe with me kiddo, I promise. You don’t have to do anything but be safe, okay?” Patton’s face looked almost comical, with tear-filled eyes and a runny nose, eyebrows deeply furrowed in frustration. Logan didn’t really know what to say in response, he had expected a more sinister reply at best, not full-on _sobbing_.

So Logan simply stared, watching that giant sob and bawl for his sake, not yet able to accept that this was _all_ the giant would do in return. It left Logan with a deep aching in his heart, a sort of fruitless rage only fueled by disappointment. A single thought held Logan’s mind as he watched Roman tease Patton for crying ‘like a baby’ bellow him, a question he knew he’d never get an answer to:

Why couldn’t Virgil have been this way?


	10. More Than What He Said I Was

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! It's been a while but here is the next chapter! Virgil is....aha Virgil is....

“Is the water too hot? Too cold? I’m right here if you need anything.” Patton’s voice echoed in his bathroom despite the fact that he stood by the doorway, the sound causing Logan to flinch as he sat in the water. The borrower watched the human nervously wring his hands together in earnest, feeling odd at the action. How could someone so large care about someone so small?

Earlier both he and Roman had to calm the giant down after he had burst out in tears, and Logan couldn’t help but ponder why Patton would cry for someone like him.

He was just entertainment to humans anyway.

“Nah the water is great, right Logan?” Roman was beside him as Logan washed in a little bowl Patton had offered. Originally the giant had suggested simply washing in the sink, but the possibility of being stuck once he was wet terrified the tiny. Instead, he had opted for a bowl with a low edge so that he could get out if need be.

Logan nodded in response to Roman’s question, happy to be properly clean for the first time in weeks. Virgil would always watch over him in the sink when he bathed, ‘to make sure he didn’t hurt himself’ the giant would claim, though Logan knew it was simply to make sure he didn’t escape. He had never felt comfortable and had always washed as quickly as he could to get out of the giant’s watchful eye.

Patton was barely looking at them now, though Logan wondered if it was intentional or not. Was he aware of how much power he had over them? Did he care? How could he not? _Everyone_ wanted power.

Once he was clean and dry he was presented with new clothes, ones that Patton had bought on the whim that Roman might show up one day. Hastily he put them on, wanting to be finished in case he had taken too long bathing, gulping when Roman called Patton over to carry them once again.

The first time had been a nightmare.

_“He won’t hurt you Logan, I swear. It’s just a couple of steps okay, just to the bathroom” Roman was standing on top of Patton’s laid out hand, his own hand stretched out towards the other borrower._

_Logan had stood still then, completely petrified of the mere thought of being in the giant’s hand. He felt like puking just seeing Roman standing at the center because all it would take was just a moment for the fingers to wrap around him, to encase the tiny in a prison only Patton could control._

_“But– but what if…” He fearfully glanced up at Patton’s face, worried about if his next words would anger the giant before whispering the rest of his question._

_“What if he’s lying? Humans are strong, he could hurt us… and I don’t want to see you hurt.” Roman’s eyes dimmed at Logan’s words, and he quickly stepped off of Patton’s hand towards Logan._

_“I know. Humans are cruel and hurtful. But Logan I need you to trust me, please. We need to get you cleaned up and treat your wounds. It’s okay to be wary of Patton, but at least believe in me.”_

It had been a mess after that, with the ride consisting of debilitating panic and constant reassurance.

“Okay, are you ready?” Logan really wasn’t, hanging onto Roman’s arm with an iron grip and squeezing his eyes shut. When he felt the “ground” under him move once again it took everything in him not to scream and simply hang onto Roman harder. He felt nauseous, with his stomach performing flips as if it were a part of a circus, and he worried that he would throw up what little food he already had in his system.

Once back on the kitchen counter Logan practically threw himself off of Patton’s hand, instinctively moving as far away from the giant as possible. Roman had claimed that they would treat his wounds, but he didn’t want the giant anywhere near his injury.

_You said you're more durable and stuff right? It can’t hurt that much Logan, don’t exaggerate._

He couldn’t afford to look anymore weak than he already was.

“Patton, can you get the first aid kit for me please?” Roman didn’t even look at the giant and instead came over to urge Logan to sit down. Patton immediately complied, however, leaving for a moment to come back with the kit. He placed it down a little ways from the two borrowers, opening it up and taking out the materials they needed.

“Alright Logan, roll up your pants so I can see the wound.” Roman’s voice was like cool water, putting out the constant fire of nervousness in Logan’s mind. Numbly he did as he was told, hissing a bit at the pain. With the dried blood and dirt gone the wound was clear, appearing like a curved slice across his upper thigh. It wasn’t terribly deep, but it was enough to keep Logan crying in pain for days when it had happened.

Logan had expected Roman to start applying ointment to the wound immediately, so when the tiny simply stared at the cut in horror, Logan awkwardly found himself struggling to come up with an explanation.

“It’s not as bad as it looks. I-I can walk just fine without it–”

“He cut you didn’t he, on purpose.” The cool water had frozen over, and Logan sucked in a small breath as Roman’s expression began to darken. For a moment he wondered if the fellow tiny was angry at him, the prospect making his heart sink.

“I’m-I’m sorry, I tried–! I wasn’t acting right and he got mad… I know I shouldn’t have fought back Roman I’m sorry.” Logan began blabbering an apology, feeling guilt wash over him. If he had just been good, if he had just listened, maybe Virgil wouldn’t have reacted that way.

_“I am so plucking sick of this! You’re holding me against my will, and treating me like a toy! Let me go!” He had screamed at the top of his lungs, anger boiling over until his sanity finally broke. Tears blurred his vision as he finally challenged the giant before him, sick of constantly silencing himself._

_Virgil had been mid sentence, something about keeping him in his pocket when he went to school as if he was some sort of cute plushie to keep around. Now the giant simply stared at the borrower with genuine surprise on his face._

_Then it darkened._

_“Wow. Way to be completely ungrateful Logan. Don’t you know how much I do for you?” The words were sharp, and as Virgil spoke he began to walk towards the little coffee table the tiny stood on, not even bothering to reduce his height. Logan swallowed then, reminded of just how small he was in comparison to Virgil, but he felt like this was his only shot at changing things._

_“What makes you think I should be grateful? I’m your prisoner. I never asked to be here, and I never asked for you to do anything for me. I just want to go home.” Logan scoffed at the audacity of the human, glaring up at him with defiance for the first time in days._

_He should have known better._

_“Yes, I suppose you’re right. Then... I guess I don’t have to care for you anymore, do I?” As if a switch had gone off in his head, Virgil snarled, shooting his hand out to snatch Logan off of the table. The human held the tiny with a painful grip, digging his nails into Logan’s body._

_“No, wait– Virgil stop!”_

_“Isn’t this what you wanted? Because as far as I’m concerned you_ are _home Logan. This is where you belong. If you don’t want to be cared for at home, well, I gotta listen to your request right?” The hand began to press down harder and harder, forcing Logan to cry out in pain and beg for Virgil to let go. Virgil didn’t mind, however, digging his nails deeper into the tiny as his grip tightened. He was going to kill him, Logan was sure of it, with Virgil’s nails cutting at his skin and promising him so._

“Don’t cry Logan, it wasn’t your fault.” He was wrapped up, surrounded by giant fingers and pressed to a warm chest as Patton held him. He wasn’t aware of how he had gotten here and for a split second, he was scared of the human holding him.

However, there was something about the way Patton held him close, as if promising to protect him from all the dangers of the outside world. A feeling of warmth and security quickly calmed Logan’s heart and he found himself sighing in relief. Softly, Patton rocked Logan in his hands, softly whispering reassuring words to the borrower.

The tiny felt...sheltered in the hands of someone much more powerful than him. It was strange and almost ironic for Logan to feel this way. Virgil had made it so that he could never trust a human again, and Patton was no exception. So why did he feel that wrapped up in Patton’s hands, he wouldn’t get hurt, he wouldn’t cry and he wouldn't need to be scared?

It was all too much, and while Logan struggled to make sense of it all it was as if his mind had simply stopped functioning. Slowly with the hum of Patton’s voice and the soft beating of his heart, Logan found himself drifting to sleep, safe and sound, like he had been wishing to for so long.


	11. Strength from Within

_Virgil_

The little pipsqueak was gone, Virgil could tell the moment he stepped inside his apartment. He would normally be greeted with a soft, terrified tiny gasp, followed by frantic scuffling from inside Logan’s room. However, when the human came home there was nothing but silence, and instantly Virgil strode towards the box on the coffee table.

He hoped to see that Logan was simply asleep, curled up under the makeshift blankets Virgil had given the borrower. It was rare to see Logan sleep, the tiny was always on guard around him. Although Logan’s crying face was nice, he wondered what the tiny would look like when he dreamt. He imagined Logan would be breathtakingly cute, with a blissful look on his face and completely defenseless to anything around him.

Virgil soon realized that he would have to keep imagining. The tiny was gone, no one was in the box and panic seized Virgil’s mind. Where had his little pet gone? Frantically he searched his apartment, calling out Logan’s name with worry, his panic slowly growing into anger.

Quickly, Virgil found himself flipping over furniture and practically yelling out Logan’s name. He looked everywhere, promising aloud to forgive Logan if he simply came out, seething when he received nothing but silence in return.

Eventually he took a deep breath, raking a hand through his hair and glaring at the mess around him. Right when he had thought Logan had learned, the little brat had run away. What had Virgil missed? He’d done everything he could to show Logan that there was no other home than his, he’d all but drilled it into the borrower’s head that this was his new life, yet it wasn’t enough.

_Well that just means you have to find him… and show him. Make it so that every time he decides to do anything of his own accord again, he’ll wonder “what will Virgil do if he finds out?”_

A smile spread across Virgil’s face at the thought, calm yet unnerving, and he began to pick up pieces of the furniture he had destroyed only moment’s before. The idea seemed like the perfect solution, and he could only imagine how he would train Logan this time around.

How could he make it so that simply thinking about Virgil made Logan terrified? The human wanted to be the only thing that mattered to Logan. Capable of taking up every space in the tiny’s mind. Perhaps Virgil would use the freezer next time to threaten the little borrower. Virgil could picture the tears and begging he would get from Logan then, and he felt giddy at just the thought.

“Fuck… he’s so adorable.” Virgil whistled to himself, a smile on his face as he decided to look for whichever crack in the apartment he hadn’t covered up.

–––––––––

_Logan_

When Logan woke, he felt warm. There was a soft scent of lavender and rain around him, and for a moment he simply burrowed deeper towards the source of the heat under him, wanting to stay like this forever.

Then the ground moved from under him.

In alarm he sat up, hissing at the sharp pain in his leg but ignoring it to take in his surroundings. Next to him was Roman, sound asleep with a blissful smile and drool on the side of his face. Despite his panic, the sight caused Logan to relax a bit. When Logan was with Virgil the tiny had begun to think that he would never see Roman again, and Logan had missed him greatly.

So when Roman had shown up to rescue him Logan had been afraid it was all a dream, or a sick hallucination his mind had created to torture him. But it really had been his Roman, terrible borrow skills and all, and he had saved Logan from that hellhole.

Once again, whatever Logan and Roman lay on lifted up and back down again, bringing Logan back to his senses. He looked around then, taking in the soft fabric under him and the faint rhythmic sound of _ba-bump_ vibrating around him. Gulping he looked up, his suspicion turning to dread as he saw the face of Patton in front of them.

The giant was reading a book, holding it high above his head as he lay on the couch. Patton had managed to rock Logan to sleep before grabbing a book and laying down himself, letting Roman climb on top. Now almost to the end of his assigned reading, his eyes looked down as he felt movement on his chest, mentally slapping himself when he met Logan’s worried eyes.

_Stay quiet and calm. No sudden movements. Quiet and calm_.

“Hey kiddo, did you sleep well?” He all but whispered the question, watching Logan look around anxiously before nodding his head.

“Yes...thank you. I’m sorry for my sudden outburst. It won’t happen again.” Although the words made Patton want to personally track Virgil down and beat the life out of him, Patton simply smiled in return, knowing that any sign of anger would put Logan in panic mode.

“There’s no need to apologize Logan, you did nothing wrong. In fact, I’m a crybaby myself. Especially around spiders, ugh, they scare me so much.” Patton closed the book he was reading and set it down next to himself. At his words Logan tilted his head, mind riddled with confusion.

“Why? When you’re so much bigger than them? You could easily crush–” Logan suddenly shut his mouth, almost as if he had caught himself in the midst of a wrongful act, looking up with fear that Patton wished he could take away.

“No, um I didn’t mean anything by that. P-please don’t think about it.” Logan cursed internally, feeling like an idiot for slipping up so easily. What was he thinking, giving Patton ideas on how to treat things smaller than him? He knew that if he gave an inch the giant would take a mile, that was always how it worked. What would he do then, if Patton started taking every word he used and twisting it until it meant something else?

Logan knew the answer, he had learned it the hard way before.

As the tiny began to shrink into himself again, Patton frantically thought of a way to turn the conversation around. He wanted Logan to at least feel safe enough to speak his mind, and something told Patton that Logan had more to say than Roman did before.

“Well, you see–they might be smaller than me, but they look scary! They have _way_ too many legs and hair. Plus some are poisonous! And you know...I may be larger, but that doesn’t mean I can’t feel fear, too.”

Patton himself didn’t really know where he was going with his words, but Logan felt oddly comforted nonetheless. It was something with the way Patton honestly answered, leaving nothing to analyze and decipher, that made Logan feel safe. This warm feeling, however, scared the tiny even more than Patton himself and Logan quickly pushed the feeling away.

“I see, I suppose everyone is afraid of something.” Logan spoke just loud enough for Patton to hear, reaching over to brush away stray hairs that fell over Roman’s nose. He watched as Roman scrunched his eyebrows together in response, murmuring in his sleep before reaching out and wrapping his arms around Logan’s waist.

“It t’early. Sleep…” Logan softly chuckled at the action, combing his hand through Roman’s hair. Patton held his breath at the sight, having only ever seen Logan with terrified eyes and a trembling body. Yet here the borrower was, petting Roman as they both lay on Patton’s chest. How could he get Logan to stay like this? Patton wanted Logan to feel safe and to never, ever have to worry about Virgil again.

But he knew this task wouldn’t be easy, because even now Logan stiffened every time Patton took a breath and the giant was certain that if not for Roman, Logan would have asked to stay anywhere but near him.

_Perhaps if we start at the root… and take out the source of the problem._

Patton wasn’t one to start a fight, but there _had_ been a time when he was, and as far as he could remember he had never been one to lose. Watching Logan as the tiny stroked Roman’s hair, Patton held back a sigh, knowing all too well that confrontation wasn’t always the best way to solve his problems. If he couldn’t take out Virgil, then he would have to find a way and show Logan that there were humans completely opposite of the bastard.

As Roman finally woke up, spewing nonsense about _crazy robot chickens_ in his dreams, Patton decided that he would try his best to erase everything Virgil had done to Logan, and replace every bad experience with good ones for the tiny. No one deserved whatever the borrower had gone through, and Patton hoped that one day Logan would believe that, too.


End file.
